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In Hawaiian mythology, Nu'u was a man who built an ark with which he escaped a Great Flood. He landed his vessel on top of Mauna Kea on the Big Island. Nu'u mistakenly attributed his safety to the moon, and made sacrifices to it. Kāne, the creator god, descended to earth on a rainbow and explained Nu'u's mistake. The myth has been interpreted as depicting the hazards of the Oceanian environment and local peoples' ability to withstand them. Missionaries to Hawaii in the 19th century considered him analogous to Noah of the Bible.
References
- "Nu'u" A Dictionary of World Mythology. Arthur Cotterell. Oxford University Press, 1997. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 30 September 2010 http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t73.e525
- Wilkinson, Philip (2009). "Oceania". Myths and Legends. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 337. ISBN 978-1-4053-3552-2.
External links
- Hawaiian Mythology by Martha Beckwith
- Dictionary of World Mythology, Arthur Cotterell reference is also viewable on Google Books without subscription: https://books.google.com/books?id=ExuhmHX4dUEC&q=nu%27u#v=snippet&q=nu'u&f=false
- An explanation of the story of Nu'u. Hawaiian Mythology: Part Three. The Chiefs: XXII. Era of Overturning.
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